“Sit up straight.” We have all heard that before. But now it’s time to do it. Correct posture is a simple but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. It is much more than cosmetic - good posture and back support are critical to reducing the incidence and levels of back pain and neck pain. Back support is especially important for patients who spend many hours sitting in an office chair or standing throughout the day.

It’s funny how we sometimes notice things happening in clusters. When you buy a new car, suddenly the same car seems to be all over the road. Health care practitioners often see a similar phenomenon. We can go months without treating someone for a specific problem, and then see that problem 3 times in the same week. Over the past month, I have noticed myself repeating the same advice to several patients between the ages of 55-70. That advice centers on the notion that how a person maintains their physical function in their 50’s and 60’s dictates how active they will be in their 70’s and 80’s.

The topic of taping and bracing is much like an ice berg: we only see what is on the surface while the rest of the ice berg is underwater. There is very little the public knows about taping and bracing and what you don't know may surprise you. For example, when dealing with an ankle sprain, parents, coaches, and athletes often believe 2 things:

Who are physical therapists? What do they do?

You’ve probably have heard of physical therapy. Maybe a family member or friend has been treated by a physical therapist to help with back pain or recover from an injury or surgery. But, who are physical therapists (PT), and what do they do?

The American College of Sports Medicine just released their 9th annual survey on what fitness trends we should be expecting to see in 2015. Around 3,400 fitness professionals from around the world were asked which trends they have seen growing in popularity over the past year and to project the most popular workouts for next year.

Do I need Orthotics?

Did you know that only about 25% of the population have a foot type that is considered to be well-aligned? Another 25% are called under-pronators (also called “supinators”). People with this type of foot have very high arches and the foot doesn’t roll the normal amount when walking, or may be roll to the outside part of the foot. The rest of us, myself included, belong to a group called over-pronators (“pronators” for short).

Bike Options after a Knee Replacement

One of the first things patients are anxious to return to after having a knee replaced is riding their bike. The problem with getting back on the bike is the amount of knee bend required to ride a standard bike. A standard bike usually requires that the rider have at least 110 degrees of knee bend to fully move the pedals through a cycle. Most patients will eventually obtain 120 degrees of knee bend, but this can sometimes take several months.

Finally; Fashionable and Supportive Sandals!One of the biggest challenges PT’s have when treating patients with foot problems is finding summer footwear that can give them support. Orthotics (link to previous orthotic post) are a great way to correct foot problems, but they unfortunately do not work in sandals. Chocco’s and Birkenstocks have good foot beds, but some patients are looking for less substantial sandals for cruising downtown or at the beach.

What’s Blue, Pink, or Black, and wrapped all over? Can it help with healing an injury?By now you have seen strips of brightly colored tape adorning the arms, legs, and torsos of many top athletes. But more than just fashion is driving this trend. The tape is called Kinesio tape. Many athletes believe it helps them reduce their injury risk, improve their performance, and treats all sorts of aches and pains.Kinesio Tape is a relatively new type of rehabilitation tool developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase that is used to treat a variety of orthopedic, neuromuscular, neurological, and medical conditions. This taping method, which was developed in the 1980s after many years of research, has just recently become popular and has shown results that would have been unheard of using older methods and materials.

Acute and Chronic Pain…What’s the difference?

This week we were able to speak with Adam R. Wilson, PA-C, from Harborside Spine & Sports Center. Adam is a graduate of Central Michigan University's PA program. He focuses on treating musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain using an array of treatments including Ultrasound-guided procedures and lifestyle modifications. We asked Adam to discuss the difference between acute and chronic pain. What is you medical background?I am a physician assistant with greater than 5 years of experience treating acute and chronic pain, including sports related injuries. What is the difference between acute and chronic pain?Acute pain happens as a result of an injury and serves as a warning of damage to the body. It is usually associated with active inflammation. The pain will normally dissipate when the underlying cause is either treated or has healed.Chronic pain is pain that lasts greater than three months. In some cases, this could happen even though the underlying cause has healed. Chronic pain can be associated with tense muscles, decreased mobility, and even emotional changes. What types of treatments do pain-management clinics offer?Pain management clinics offer many treatments to address acute and chronic pain including: suggesting exercises or referral to physical therapy for a more comprehensive program, proper bracing or immobilization, injections and medications. We basically provide non-surgical treatments of joint, muscle or nerve pain.What are some of the more common conditions you treat?Common conditions that I treat are acute and chronic low back pain, arthritis of the shoulder, hip, and knee, and ligament/tendon issues. If a person is experiencing pain, how long should they wait before they speak to their physician?They should schedule an appointment for any injury that does not seem be following the normal healing process. They should also be evaluated if they seem to be “stuck” at a certain phase of the recovery process. Other possible signs that should prompt someone to speak to their medical provider soon would be: severe bruising, persistent swelling beyond a day or two, or redness and warmth of the injured area.At what point in the treatment process is it helpful to visit a practice that specializes in pain management?Again, whenever things do not seem to be responding to initial treatments like, exercise, physical therapy and over the counter medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen.